I went to church last night. After last year's blizzard cancelled all the Christmas Eve and Christmas services, I was determined to attend services this year. I went to the family service. The kids usually put on a play, we always sing my favorite carols, then end with the candle lighting.
The kids acted out the Christmas Story. Audience participation was involved. Whenever they read the story and said certain words, we had to reply in unison. When he talked about the cows we had to go "Mooooo" and when he talked about the sheep we had to go "Baaaaah" and when he talked about the angels we had to go "Glory to God in the Highest". Anyway, there were giant screens telling us what to say when it was time so no rehearsal was required on our part. The kids all had on costumes and were glad to be dressed up.
The pastor asked Joseph and Mary (who was carrying baby Jesus) to come up to the stage and he read the beginning of the Christmas story. We moo'd and bah'd and praised God in the audience on cue. The pastor went on with the coming to the manger part of the story and asked that while we sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem" that the sheep come up on stage. Three little girls dressed in sheep costumes came up to the stage while we Bah'd and sang. He continued the story and asked for the cows to come up on stage as we sang "Away In a Manger". None of the kids went up to the stage. The pastor told us to imagine there were cows, then asked us to sing "The First Noel" while the shepherds come up to the stage. Three little boys went up and pulled on their fake beards and head gear - clearly uncomfortable. The story went on and we were asked to sing "Angels We Have Heard on High" as the angels came up on stage. There were twenty-four angels all dressed in white with silver garland wings and head gear on. We laughed as they proudly showed off their costumes on stage. The three wise men came up as we sang, "We Three Kings" and the star ended the story as we sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful". The pastor said the kids looked like they were having fun and the audience could dress up next year and participate too. We'd have to start two hours earlier to get everyone in costume, but we might even find someone who wouldn't mind being a cow. The message was that even if we weren't wearing a costume, we are all part of the Christmas Story. "Moo, Bah, and Glory to God in the Highest"!
Merry Christmas!
